Ajin 3

" I didn't want to hurt you."

It had been so long since Kei had cried for the last time, that Kaito had almost forgotten.

Memories from when they were children flashed through his mind: and so did through Kei's.

~~~~~~
We barely recall bout' the day we've met....
~~~~~
Young Kei pov :
~
I was on my own playing at the the pavement before my house.
I took a small walk as I got lost in my own world. I used to do that a lot as an escape from reality.
Slowly but surely, I descended.
A little further away. I do not know exactly how far from my house, {sorry for that.} I noticed a boy with a sun hat stood on the other side.
He must have been around my age, although, he was a little taller than me.
The boy picked blackberries from the bush near a house, holding all of them in one hand.
He seemed kind.. I kept looking for a while and decided I wanted to go closer
I tried to cross the street carefully.

Our eyes met each other.
We looked wondering in each others eyes.
I hardly dared say anything.
As shy as I was, so openly he were... "hello there" he said sweetly ..
I hid my blushing face and said very gently ...: hi

Kai pov:
"Hey are you okay? An ill person shouldn't be outside" I said to the black haired boy. His face was turning red as if he had a fever.

{"He already thinks I am weird."
why do I try to talk, anyways?
Kei thought.}

I noticed that the raven made a gesture to leave.. about to walk away from me. but, I wanted to talk with him.

"Hey-" I was crossing the street but was about to get ran over. I waited for another car to go pass till I could cross the road. "Hey do you want some berries?" I ran over to the Raven boy.
"I hand picked them myself." I gave a wholesome smile to the boy, who seemed to have a fever since he was becoming more red.
"Hey are you okay? You look like you have a really bad fever." I placed my empty hand on his cheek.

Kei pov :

"The touch of his hand felt nice. I wasn't use to human interactions and didn't reply at first.
I don't know how to interact, usually people ignore me.

" I am fine, really..."I said in a soft tone. Finally, after a minute that felt like hours in my head.

"Mmmmm, you don't seem fine." the boy pouted. He grabbed my wrist and started to drag me somewhere.

"Hey wha-"
"Let's go to my hideout, I have some stuff to help you get better."
He interrupted me. He was already on his way to the hideout taking me with him, and I could barely keep up with him...
" I don't even know..... who you are......"

"Kaito. My names Kaito, but you can call me Kai." He gave me a huge smile. "What's yours?" He asked.

I fell over a tree root protruding above the ground, I scrambled to my feet.
I wasn't even paying attention to my bleeding knees. Kai had something distracting me, from my pain my surroundings, all of it...

"I....my name... it's Kei ..."

Kai pov :

."H-hey are you okay?!" I said in concern. He looked like he was in slot of pain and tried to keep it. "Yeah I'm fine." I knew he was lying but I carried on walking to the hideout anyways. "I have bandages and stuff there, I'll tend to your knees"
Kei followed me in silence...
My words seemed to amaze him, like I said something special; but why?

"We're here" I said to him. It was a shrine in the forest. There's an abandoned little building close to it which is my hideout. I've decorated it slightly too. A few cushions and food. Also a few blankets. I spend a lot of my time here, it's like my home.

"That sounds nice..."
Kei could only dream of having a secret place... so he could be away from home.
He followed Kai inside of it. It wasn't much, but still. It had a certain warmth.